The 'Invisible House' Airbnb: Coolest Place to Stay in Joshua Tree

Table Of Content

• Does Invisible House Joshua Tree Modern Masterpiece have a pool?
• Chris Hanley and his wife Roberta describe the home as 'an object of
• Desert Dome
• Splayed shipping containers form Joshua Tree Residence conceived by James Whitaker
• How far is Invisible House Joshua Tree Modern Masterpiece from the centre of Joshua Tree?
• Eight home interiors where mezzanines maximise usable space
• Guesthouse

Two caissons lift the home's primary bedroom high above the desert floor and deliver dramatic panoramic views from a king-sized bed that sits on a platform constructed completely of glass. The home was designed by film producer and current owner, Chris Hanley, and Frank Gehry-collaborator, architect Tomas Osinski. The glass-and-steel structure is 225 feet long, 25 feet wide and 21 feet tall.

Does Invisible House Joshua Tree Modern Masterpiece have a pool?

Hanley is an LA-based producer behind films including American Psycho, The Virgin Suicides​ and Spring Breakers​. He also has plans to build another house from splayed shipping containers in nearby Joshua Tree National Park. The Invisible House sits on a remote site 10 minutes from Downtown Joshua Tree, California. (You’ll also be pleased to know that each bedroom comes equipped with remote-controlled blackout shades, for a sound night’s sleep). These include an 86″ LG 4K TV that can be viewed from the swimming pool, a Bose Portable Home Speaker, and multi-coloured LED lighting for you to customise your surroundings in whichever way you choose.

Chris Hanley and his wife Roberta describe the home as 'an object of

Tucked away in the rural High Desert, bordering the Joshua Tree National Park, is a visionary home that defies logic and definition. It reflects the rugged landscape in which it sits but also melts into it. It’s a construction full of contradictions that work together to create something genuinely unique, the product of a very creative imagination. ​​​​​​​LOCATIONConveniently located within minutes of the Joshua Tree National Park entrance and downtown Joshua Tree. 45 minutes to Palm Springs, 2 hours to Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego. Available for private groups, intimate gatherings, and filming/photography productions.

Desert Dome

If you plan to visit more than a couple of national parks a year, your best bet is to buy the national parks annual pass for $80 (which covers one vehicle or four per-person fees). We have more than 70 million property reviews, and they're all from real, verified guests. Given that the home’s walls are composed of glass, its “interior is as much about the desert as its exterior,” added Osinski, who in the past has collaborated with renowned architect Frank Gehry. This one of a kind masterpiece was designed by veteran film producer Chris Hanley and Frank Gehry collaborator Tomas Osinski. The pool ends at a white wall designed as a projection screen for movies, while at the other end is a kitchen designed to be suitable for catered events.

The primary bedroom even has a two-ton solid-glass bed by Milanese design company Santambrogio. Having since worked on 15 buildings (and counting), Chris’s first structure built from scratch came in 1997 when he designed a hilltop village called Honeymoon House on Lamu, an island on the Kenyan coast. With this angular, castle-like residence, Chris honed his signature style in which he conceives ‘architecture like experiential sculpture’. “It’s so close with nature and so integrated with the rock formations and everything in the desert. The house had previously been available to rent for $150,000 a month, $6,000 per day, or $1,000 per hour, Mansion Global reported last summer. A rental website touted the house’s “dramatic desert contrasts” and the “oversized” pool that “flaunts its abundance in a seemingly barren land”.

Mirror-clad Invisible House reflects its desert surrounds

They all come with kitchens or kitchenettes, private patios, heating, AC, internet, luxe Parachute linens and Malin & Goetz toiletries. While these are vacation rentals, staying here includes access to hotel-like amenities such as a communal outdoor space, a pool, hot tub, grills, fire pit and wellness activities. A bit further from the park entrance, but not quite as far as Palm Springs, is Pioneertown; it's a former working movie set from the 1940s for old Western flicks that's been preserved for tourists. Here, you'll find the Pioneertown Motel, which was originally built in 1946 to house visiting movie stars who were in town to film.

How far is Invisible House Joshua Tree Modern Masterpiece from the centre of Joshua Tree?

Careful attention has been paid to sustainability, and the building’s foundation has one of the smallest environmental footprints in the Joshua Tree area. Nothing was disturbed during its construction, another benefit of the part-cantilevered design. The designers aimed to reduce the environmental impact of the home by using low-emissivity glass for the walls and installing photovoltaics and a thermal water heating system on the roof. Subsequently the home, which has a 2000 to one landscape to dwelling footprint making it the smallest home on any property in Joshua Tree, was constructed inline with all federal, state and stringent local environmental laws and regulations. Well, some suites feature beds crafted from pure marble, while the master suite boasts not only a free-standing Swim tub, but a two-ton solid glass bed by the renowned Milano designer Santambrogio.

In addition to being a coveted amenity for exercise and relaxation, the pool ensures ideal moisture levels to keep skin hydrated in the desert. As environmental activists, the Hanleys also worked diligently to make the Invisible House as eco-friendly as possible — it’s currently about 90% off-grid. Completed in 2019, the Invisible House and its unparalleled surrounding land, which also includes a prefabricated guest house, are being sold by Christie’s International Real Estate for $18 million.

A large primary suite offers a private sanctuary and includes a 5-star-resort-inspired bath with soaking tub, floating vanities, and rain shower. For the true visual artist, a massive 224 square foot white wall at the end of the pool is designed for screening films or projecting photographs. The 5,490 square foot living space offers plenty of room for private enjoyment or entertaining, measuring 225 long, by 24'11 wide, with a facade height of 21, and a soaring interior height of 12. The remarkable, energy efficient space also features 10,500 of Vitro spectrally selective Solarcool blue glazing with a nominal 12mm airspace, all Title 24 approved. Set adjacent to rocks for passive solar heating and cooling and bordered by Section 5 Federal National Park land and a Section 6 BLM, gated nature/tortoise reserve, this once-in-a-lifetime property delivers an idyllic balance of serenity and wonder.

The minimalist design surrounding the 100-foot indoor pool makes a swim across the living room to one of the bedrooms even more lavish. Ryan Mountain is a popular hike that leads to one of the tallest points in the park with panoramic views. The 3-mile, out-and-back trail gains 1,050 feet in elevation and passes through stunning rock formations, including Pinto Gneiss, which is the oldest type of rock in the park, estimated to be 1.8 billion years old. Featuring air-conditioned accommodation with a private pool, mountain view and a terrace, Invisible House Joshua Tree Modern Masterpiece is set in Joshua Tree. The holiday home also offers facilities for disabled guests.The spacious holiday home comes with a TV.

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Whichever kingsize bedroom suite you choose from the three available inside (a fourth can be provided for extra guests, in a private home just steps away) it’ll be truly magnificent. …whether that’s whipping up feasts in the huge chef’s kitchen, doing laps in the luxurious 100ft swimming pool, taking an unforgettable shower in a transparent cubicle, or simply relaxing with a drink in one of many comfortable seating areas. We have more than 70 million property reviews, all from real, verified guests. The vacation home also offers facilities for disabled guests.The vacation home also has a well-equipped kitchen with a dishwasher, an oven, and a microwave, as well as a hair dryer. The accommodation is non-smoking.The nearest airport is Palm Springs International Airport, 39 miles from Invisible House Joshua Tree Modern Masterpiece. Indoors, Roberta intentionally kept furnishings minimal but of the utmost quality, sticking with grey tones in which furnishings disappeared with the floor, to keep the focus on what lies beyond the windows.

The all-electric house incorporates the most advanced materials and technologies available. With an environmental carbon footprint to near zero it’s also as green as can be. The room's open layout includes an oversized soaking tub, floating double sinks and a stainless steel rain shower with a glass wall that frames a picturesque view.

In addition to admiring the park's namesake plants up close, you can see where two different desert ecosystems meet alongside a wide variety of plants and wildlife. Plus, Joshua Tree National Park offers dark night skies and geologic wonders that draw hikers, campers and tourists from around the world. The exhilarating sense of being on an adventure, away from the crowds is very grounding. “There’s an exciting balance between being vulnerable and safe,” Osinski continues.

Kirman told CNBC the $18 million listing is all about show-stopping modern architecture and the illusion created by the 10,500 square feet of wrap-around mirrored glass on the home's exterior. For a boutique option, Mojave Sands Motel in Joshua Tree is an intimate retreat with just five rooms starting at $185; each room has beamed ceilings, platform beds, private patios and record players with assorted vinyl. If you do plan to visit in the summer, try to avoid being outside for extended periods of time during the afternoon or during the hottest parts of the day. With an abundance of hiking and nature trails for all skill levels as well as multiple campgrounds, the park is a must-see. You might visit on a daytrip, stay overnight in a tent or merely pass through the park for a scenic drive between LA and Las Vegas. With more than 3 million annual visitors, it's within the top 10 most-visited national parks in the U.S., according to the National Park Service — and for good reason.

The 720 square-foot house is just steps from the main house, with some of its same luxurious touches. It features floor-to-ceiling windows, a king-sized Piero Lissoni Bed, and a modern, green design. Inside, there are smooth concrete floors and steel beams that criss-cross 12-foot ceilings. Those walls of mirrored-glass on the home's exterior are transparent from the inside and they deliver panoramic views of a rock-filled landscape. The home's west-facing wall of glass can slide open to reveal a symphony of boulders, tangled brush and stoic trees. For example, the Bungalows by Homestead Modern in the town of Joshua Tree is a collection of 14 boutique midcentury-style suites.

We provide personalized recommendations based on your activity on our platform. You need to let the property know what time you'll be arriving in advance. Unsurprisingly, the Invisible House has already been used for multiple photo and film shoots, and Hanley has even come up with his own treatment for a movie. It’s “a kind of search into the interstices of the mind horror genre,” he says. Invisible House was fully completed in 2020—with environmental sustainability incorporated into the design, and special care not to harm the bird and wildlife population with its reflective surfaces. Always interested in art and photography, Chris also began dealing Pop and Minimalist works before Roberta brought him into the film industry, where they’d produce The Virgin Suicides (1999) and American Psycho (2000), among other movies with cult followings.